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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · squash · pitcher · cue · plane · perch · fan · wake

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cue — a hint
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — to crush
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — hurry
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com